The brain and spinal cord belong to which part of the nervous system?

• A. Peripheral nervous system
• B. Central nervous system
• C. Autonomic nervous system
• D. Somatic nervous system

Answer: (B)

The brain and spinal cord are central to the nervous system, forming the central nervous system that processes information and directs responses. This system includes the brain and spinal cord themselves, which sit inside the skull and vertebral column and act as the body's main processing center. Everything outside them, like nerves that reach to muscles and senses, belongs to the peripheral nervous system. Within that peripheral system, the autonomic division handles automatic functions (like heart rate and digestion) and the somatic division handles voluntary movement and conscious sensation. So the brain and spinal cord are part of the central nervous system, not the peripheral, autonomic, or somatic divisions.